2-Keto-3-deoxy-octulosonic acid (KDO) appears as a ketosidic component of all Gram-negative bacteria for which a KDO determination has been made. More particularly, 3-deoxy-D-manno-2-octulosonic acid (D-KDO) is widely found in Gram-negative bacteria. KDO is incorporated into lipopolysaccharides and is localized, as such, within the outer membrane compartment of Gram-negative bacteria. KDO appears to be a vital component of Gram-negative bacteria. KDO can also occur as an acidic exopolysaccharide. In such instances, the KDO can serve as part of a K-antigen.
As illustrated in FIG. 7, the biosynthetic incorporation of KDO into lipopolysaccharides consists of two steps, i.e.:
1. Activation of KDO to form CMP-KDO by means of CMP-KDO synthetase (EC 2.7.7.38); and then PA1 2. Coupling of the activated CMP-KDO to lipid A precursor to form lipid A-KDO by means of KDO transferase.
The rate-limiting step with respect to the biosynthesis of KDO containing lipopolysaccharides is the activation of the KDO moiety, i.e., the formation of CMP-KDO. Accordingly, inhibitors of CMP-KDO synthetase are potentially useful as antibacterial agents.
Several chemical and enzymatic synthetic routes have been developed for the synthesis of KDO and its analogs. One route for the chemical synthesis of KDO employs Cornforth's method. (Ghalambor, M. et al. J. Biol. Chem. 1966, 241, 3207 and Hershberger, C. et al. J. Biol. Chem. 1968, 243, 1585.) The chemical synthesis of KDO produces multiple enantiomers. In order to obtain enantiomerically pure D-KDO, a separation step must be incorporated into the chemical synthetic route.
Synthetic routes employing enzymes are more stereospecific than chemical synthetic routes. An enzymatic synthetic route employing KDO-8 phosphate synthase and KDO-8-P phosphatase as catalysts and arabinose-5-P and PEP as substrates is illustrated in FIG. 7. (Bednarski, M. et al. Tetrahedron Letters 1988, 29, 427.) An alternative enzymatic synthetic route employs sialic acid aldolase. (Auge, C. et al. Tetrahedron 1990, 46, 201.)
An enzymatic synthetic route employing the reverse. reaction of KDO aldolase for a micromolar scale synthesis of KDO is disclosed by Ghalambor. (Ghalambor, M. et al., J. Biol. Chem. 1966, 241, 3222.) The synthetic route described by Ghalambor employs KDO aldolase isolated from Aerobacter cloacae. The reverse reaction of KDO aldolase is driven by employing high substrate levels, i.e. high concentrations of D-arabinose and D-pyruvate. Ghalambor discloses that there is a 41% yield with this enzyme and narrow substrate specificity.
KDO aldolase (EC 4.1.2.23) is known to be inductively produced by several bacteria, viz. Escherichia coli, strains 0111, B, and K-12, Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella aldelaide, and Aerobacter cloacae. Ghalambor discloses that all of these known KDO aldolases have comparable activities. For example, all of these KDO aldolases hydrolyze 3-deoxy-D-manno-2-octulosonic acid to form D-arabinose and pyruvate in a forward reaction. As indicated above, Ghalambor also discloses that known KDO aldolase may be employed in a reverse reaction to condense D-arabinose and pyruvate to form 3-deoxy-D-manno-2-octulosonic acid. The substrate specificity of known KDO aldolases with respect to this reverse reaction is confined to D-arabinose and has been specifically shown to lack a measurable specificity for D-ribose in connection with this reverse reaction.
What was needed was an enzymic synthetic route for the production of a wide range of 2-keto-3-deoxy-onic acids and analogs thereof potentially having activity as inhibitors of CMP-KDO synthetase.
What was also needed was a method of converting 2-keto-3-deoxy-onic acids to high-carbon 2-deoxy aldoses.